In a GSM environment, a network operator purchases SIM cards from various SIM vendors in batch and need to provision all the information (Card ID, Account Information, and the like) on the SIM card to their network system as well as various backend systems before activating a SIM account. For postpaid subscribers who settle their bill after usage by means of account transfer, payments by check, for example, this activation can be done when subscribers register their information at the operator's point-of-sale (POS). On the other hand, for prepaid subscribers who must pay in advance for these network services, activation has to be done in advance so the card is already activated when the subscriber purchases the card from any distribution channel such as operator's POS or authorized dealers.
Each time the network operators roll out new services, or when these services require change of the SIM card, operators need to either send the new SIM card to their postpaid subscribers (as the subscriber information is registered), or ask them to go to their nearest POS to exchange for a new SIM card. For prepaid subscribers, they have to purchase a new SIM card from the distribution channels to replace a current SIM card.
The process and efficiency of SIM replacement become a hassle when large amounts of SIM cards need be replaced, causing subscribers undue inconvenience in most cases. The amount of backend processes involved in the postpaid scenario has been automated as a standard operation at the POS level, but not applicable to most operators when performing a remote (outside POS) card replacement. For a prepaid subscriber's SIM replacement, it is even impossible in most operators when the existing account information is unknown to the network operators. Therefore, it is particularly difficult and a huge obstacle for network operators to roll out new services that require SIM card replacement.
Moreover, as operators are under tremendous cost pressure, pre-activating all prepaid accounts is always an issue due to investment in network equipment for pre-load accounts storage before activation. Most common network equipment, including the AuC (Authentication Center) and HLR (Home Location Registry) which has only fixed capacity per system for storing subscriber account information, have to be increased as more and more accounts are pre-loaded into these systems.
WO 03/041445 discloses a system and method to allow the same terminating telephone number with multiple mobile telephones. A server is operable to receive the first call made from a new mobile phone and determine if a user of this new mobile phone is a returning user of a previous mobile telephone. In this case, the server obtains from the user of the newly activated mobile telephone, a telephone number of the previous mobile telephone and assigns this telephone number to the newly activated mobile phone.
WO 02/018361 discloses a system and method for using a temporary electronic serial number for over-the-air activation of a SIM based mobile device. The method comprises pre-programming the SIM card with temporary activating identifiers such as an IMSI, and/or a mobile identification number, and a temporary electronic serial number, and to use this temporary electronic serial number to identify the mobile device during registration and activation. Once the activation process is completed, the temporary activation identifiers are overwritten.